As our wine market grows, local importers are adding new wines to their portfolios. Recently I was told about a new Spanish sparking wine on the market, so I bought a few bottles to try it out.

Freixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir

Elyssia – meaning heavenly or blissful and deriving from the Latin descriptions of the Elysian fields that represent heaven – combines old-world winemaking with new- world grapes to create an innovative refinement in Cava. Adding a touch of the traditional cava grape Trepat to the luscious, new-world Pinot Noir grape, Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut is a sparkling Rosado wine in a class all its own and certainly sounds like a good choice for this Mother’s day.

This is the newest super-premium Cava from Freixenet from Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, Spain. Freixenet was born from the union of two Spanish families with a lengthy history in winemaking: the Ferrers, owners of La Freixeneda, a 12th-century farming estate in Sant Quintí de Mediona in the heart of Alt Penedès, and the Salas, winemakers since 1830 and the founders of Casa Sala, a wine exporter to Latin America, in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. With just over 100 years of history under its belt, the family-owned house of Freixenet has become a leader in the global market with Spanish sparkling wine or Cava, which is their flagship product.

Beautiful Bottle

The first thing you notice is the beautiful bottle; here is how they describe it: “the sensual, modern bottle and packaging of Elyssia offers a distinctive, elegant look, reflecting both the craftsmanship of Freixenet and its commitment to innovation and beauty”.

Winemaking

The Pinot Noir varietal, with a touch of Trepat, provides the foundation for this remarkable Cava. The two grape varietals in the Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut are handled separately prior to blending in order to amplify their unique qualities. The Pinot Noir grapes are harvested at night to preserve their intrinsic aromas, while the Trepat is hand-harvested and macerated between 8-12 hours before pressing. The two lots of young wines are fermented separately in stainless steel tanks with specially selected yeasts until the final blend is prepared.

Taste Profile

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut has an intense aroma of raspberries and blackberries with a fresh and fruity mid-palate followed by a lovely, slightly sweet aftertaste and soft acidity. The Elyssia Pinot Noir was awarded Best Cava in the World at the Guia Repsol 2010. This wine is a dry wine, it is not sweet. If you prefer something sweet you should try a wine like the Zonin Moscato which is sweet but not at all cloying; well-balanced and with an extremely refined fruitiness.

Happy Mother’s Day

Chris Reckord – Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part-owners of Jamaica’s only Wine Bar – Bin26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on twitter.com/DeVineWines

Captions:

# 0448 Good to the last drop. Field testing for the Elyssia was conducted during the long Easter weekend.

Elyssia Pinot Noir

Elyssia by Freixenet is a new ultra-premium line of cavas. Serve cold and enjoy before or with your meal.